Kidnapped journalists released in Syria

Two
journalists of the pro-government TV station Al-Ikhbariya and their driver who
were kidnapped on August 10, 2012, were freed by the Syrian army six days later,
according to the state news agency SANA.

Rebels belonging to the Free Syrian Army kidnapped Yara
al-Saleh, an anchor for Al-Ikhbariya, Abdullah Tubara, the station's cameraman,
and their driver, Hussam Imad, in the Damascus suburb of Al-Tal, news reports
said. A third journalist, Hatem Abu Yehia, a camera assistant for Al-Ikhbariya,
who was also kidnapped with the group, was killed on August 10, 2012, according to news reports.

The Free Syrian Army released a video saying Abu Yehia had been
killed along with two rebel fighters on the day of the kidnapping by government
shelling of Al-Tal, news reports said. However, SANA disputed the statement and
quoted al-Saleh saying that Abu Yehia had been executed by the rebels and that
the journalists had been mistreated by the rebels. Al-Saleh also said the
rebels forced them to make a false statement about Abu Yehia's death.

The Syrian army carried out a rescue operation to free the
journalists, SANA reported.